1 Chronicles 20: Giants Brought Down
Joab captures Rabbah and David takes its crown, and in later battles Israel's warriors strike down the towering giants of the Philistines.
1 Chronicles 20 (WEB)
1 At the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, Joab led out the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Joab struck Rabbah, and overthrew it.
2 David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set on David’s head: and he brought out the plunder of the city, exceeding much.
3 He brought out the people who were therein, and cut them with saws, and with iron picks, and with axes. David did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4 After this, there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines: then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued.
5 There was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
6 There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were twenty-four, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant.
7 When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother killed him.
8 These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
1 Chronicles 20 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.
2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.
3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4 And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.
5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.
6 And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant.
7 But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him.
8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
1 Chronicles 20 (ASV)
1 And it came to pass, at the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go outto battle, that Joab led forth the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and overthrew it.
2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
3 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4 And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued.
5 And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
6 And there was again war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was born unto the giant.
7 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him.
8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
Summary
At the turn of the year, when kings normally go out to battle, Joab leads the army, ravages the land of Ammon, and besieges and overthrows Rabbah, though David remains at Jerusalem. David takes the crown of the Ammonite king from his head, a heavy crown of gold set with precious stones, which is placed on David's own head, and he carries off great plunder from the city. He puts the people of the Ammonite cities to forced labor, and then David and all the people return to Jerusalem. The chapter then records a series of later wars with the Philistines, focused on the fall of their giants. At Gezer, Sibbecai the Hushathite kills Sippai, one of the descendants of the giant, and the Philistines are subdued. In another battle, Elhanan the son of Jair kills Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam. At Gath there is a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, also descended from the giant; when he defies Israel, Jonathan the son of David's brother Shimea strikes him down. These giants, who once terrified Israel, fall by the hand of David and his servants. The Chronicler quietly omits David's failures recorded elsewhere, presenting instead a kingdom in which the enemies of God's people, even their most fearsome champions, are decisively overcome.
Key Figures
- David — The king who receives the captured crown of Ammon and under whose reign the Philistine giants fall, by his hand and his servants'.
- Joab — The commander who leads the army to besiege and overthrow Rabbah while David remains in Jerusalem.
- Israel's warriors — Sibbecai, Elhanan, and Jonathan, who each strike down a Philistine giant, finishing the work begun when David felled Goliath.
- The Philistine giants — Sippai, Lahmi, and the man of great stature at Gath, fearsome descendants of the giant who defy Israel and are brought down.
Key Verse
1 Chronicles 20:8 (WEB)
These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
Lessons Learned
- The enemies that once terrified God's people can be overcome when God is with them (1 Chronicles 20:4-8).
- God works through many faithful hands, not only the famous leader, to win his victories (1 Chronicles 20:4-7).
- Those who defy God's people set themselves against God and will not finally stand (1 Chronicles 20:7).
- The crowns and triumphs of the world are rightly laid at the feet of God's anointed king (1 Chronicles 20:2).
- Giants fall before the people of God. The fearsome champions of Gath “fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants” (1 Chronicles 20:8, WEB). What once paralyzed Israel with fear is overcome when God is with his people.
- God uses ordinary servants for great victories. It is Sibbecai, Elhanan, and Jonathan, not only David, who slay the giants (1 Chronicles 20:4-7, WEB). The Lord shares his triumphs among many faithful, lesser-known hands.
- Defiance of God's people invites defeat. “When he defied Israel, Jonathan... killed him” (1 Chronicles 20:7, WEB). To set oneself against God's people is ultimately to set oneself against God.
- The spoils of victory honor the king. The Ammonite crown “was set on David’s head” (1 Chronicles 20:2, WEB). The triumphs and treasures of conquered powers are gathered to God's anointed, foreshadowing the King to whom all crowns belong.
- God finishes what he begins. The giants kin to Goliath now fall one by one (1 Chronicles 20:4-8, WEB). The victory David began as a shepherd boy is completed through his servants, showing God's purposes carried through to the end.
- The chapter records the fall of several Philistine giants, kin to Goliath. What might this say about the long completion of victories God begins?
- Why does the Chronicler highlight that giants fell not only by David's hand but by his servants' hands as well?
- What is the significance of the defiant giant at Gath being struck down when he defies Israel?
- The crown of Ammon is set on David's head. How does this picture point forward to Christ, to whom every crown belongs?
- What “giants” of fear or opposition do you face, and how does this chapter encourage you to face them trusting that God is with his people?
- The fall of Goliath's kin shows that the victory David began long before is carried to completion through others. Help the group see that God finishes what he starts, often over time and through many hands, and that no enemy of his people endures forever.
- By crediting David's servants alongside the king, the Chronicler shows that God's victories are shared among many faithful, often unnamed people. Encourage members that ordinary believers, not only prominent leaders, are used by God to overcome great obstacles.
- The giant's defiance of Israel is, at root, defiance of Israel's God, and it ends in defeat. Discuss how opposition to God's people ultimately fails, while reminding the group to respond to enemies as Christ taught, leaving final judgment to God.
- The captured crown set on David's head foreshadows the King to whom every authority and crown is finally given. Point to Jesus, the Son of David, before whom every power will bow and to whom all crowns belong (Revelation 19:16).
- This is a gentle personal-application question. Invite members to name a “giant” of fear, temptation, or opposition they face, and encourage one another with the truth that the God who felled Goliath's kin is with his people still.